As predicted, Hurricane Sandy has produced a spike in jobs in New York. Governor Cuomo announced on Sunday that the Fed has allocated a National Emergency Grant (NEG) of $27.7 million to help put more than 5,000 young and unemployed New Yorkers to work cleaning up and rebuilding communities hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy. FEMA will also begin replacing out-of-state employees with upwards of 700 local hires. Find out if you qualify and how to apply. NOTE: Please do NOT reply in the comments that you need a job. You will NOT get one that way. Use the numbers and links below.

The whole city is in the democracy spirit. Photo by kennethcoleprd on Instagram.

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!! If you have not yet heard the news, Governor Cuomo (POTUS 2016??) signed an executive order last night that will allow all registered New York voters who are residents of counties affected by Sandy (Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester) to cast their ballot in any polling place in the state via affidavit. This temporary change in NYS Election Law will hopefully facilitate the voting process for people who have been displaced by the storm.

This change does not mean that you should go vote at the polling site closest to your work during lunch. If you can physically get to your assigned polling location and it still exists, vote there. Only votes for the top of the ticket (Obama v. Romney) will count if you are voting outside of your legislative district (i.e., your vote will not count towards other races, such as for State Senate or State Assembly).

There are special “Voter Shuttle” buses available for transport to/from polling sites in Sandy-ravaged Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.